Maggie Redding

Maggie Redding was born just before the outbreak of the Second World War and grew up in a town close to London. Iin her forties, Maggie wrote a novel, 'The Life and Times of Daffodil Mulligan', published in 1984 by Brilliance, whose commissioning editor was Jeanette Winterson. The novel had a film contract, but as often happens, it came to nothing. She says she suffered from 'Second Novel Syndrome' for thirty years. Now retired from teaching, Maggie has rediscovered writing. and published three novels, with four more in the pipeline. 'Almost Paradise' draws on her experience of living in a housing scheme for older people. Writing it has been a lot of fun. Older people she finds interesting as they have a lot of life behind them and often a lot of baggage.

Recently Maggie has been running a course for University of the Third Age about Ageing. She feels that most people are unaware of the life that is ahead of them once they retire, the changes, the discoveries, the sheer joy of living.

Her next book, 'Hold Fast to Dreams', is about a mother of four who yearns to make her dreams a reality. She is in her fifties and feels it's her turn. The story is based on Maggie's experiences in a crumbling cottage and trying to be self-sufficient. Needless to say, it didn't work for long. It was exhausting and Maggie was getting older. In 'A Life Worth Loving' she draws on her teaching experience. At the present moment, Maggie is working on a historical novel for young adults, set in the 1950's.